


Ibuki

by sincerelysag



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: A story about family love sacrifice and other stuff, Action/Adventure, But lots of cute romance, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, I don't really know where I'm going with this so bare with me, no smut sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25118971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincerelysag/pseuds/sincerelysag
Summary: "Ibuki" or Breath of Air. When a young woman from the fire nation defies the natural order and injustice of the royal members, she is forced to flee from the consequences that arise in her direction. While trying to hide her criminal background, she embarks on a journey with an unlikely team that has the potential to change the course of the world, as well as discover she is much more than her impoverish roots had shown her to be.
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Original Charater
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. We Move Lightly

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Readers, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of many more to come. It's been a little while since I've written fanfiction so I apologize if this is a bit rusty and am open to constructive criticism. I'm so excited about this story and can't wait to get started. I've made a Spotify playlist for anyone who wants to listen while they read, I will be uploading one song per chapter. You can find the playlist here [Link text](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pCIft79FZKPY9VjkVtlta?si=2V73JC6QQu2TrJDR4unOwg)
> 
> This story goes along with the timeline of ATLA, although because I have incorporated my own original characters, some of the canon relationships with be taken away. I will stay as true to the original story as possible while adding my own twists and perspectives.
> 
> Again, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy!

The early morning air was stale as she walked along the dock, taking in the fragrant scent of the ocean water that held rows of fire navy ships. Unsure of the time, she knew it had to be early as there was no activity. The docks were always a bustling hub for trading, socializing, and the occasional argument over what price was “fair” for that bushel of fruit and what was “robbery.” This was good. She didn’t want to be seen. 

Tightening her grip on the canvas bag that hugged her, she quietly made her way behind a stack of old shipping crates where she knew they were well concealed. Her hand was holding that of her younger sister's as she brought them back to a crouched position. Surveying her surroundings, she took note of the guards that passed and the amount of time between them. 15 seconds. If they were going to board one of the ships, they had to be quick about it. She had been coming night after night to spectate and improve on this plan. It may not have been her best but time was running out, it had to be tonight. 

"Why are we out so late?," the younger of the two whined, rubbing her eyes as she was still waking up.  
"Hush," said the older.  
"I'm tired." The groveling continued. 

Ignoring the protests, the older reached back, pulling out a small scroll of parchment, studying the drawn anatomy of the fire navy ship. Circled in ink was to be their new hiding spot for the next week. Looking over the map, she felt a soft brush of a tail on the back of her calf muscle. Jerking forward in shock, she thumped her head on one of the crates. Groaning under her breath, she nursed her head in her hand. She had forgotten to keep tabs on her nerves which were well beyond shot. The stray cat mewed in hopes that she might have some spare food to throw it. Looking down towards the feline, she watched as her sister started playing with the animal. Happy that it occupied her, the older rolled up the map and slid it back in her pack before crouching down to begin her departure. 

"Come on," she whispered as she took hold of her sibling.

Breaking off in a quick sprint, she made her way between two, well spaced guards with their backs facing her as they walked their rounds. She made sure to tread lightly as she jumped and ducked behind the dock, forcefully bringing her sister with her. This was going better than anticipated. She had caught the guards at the end of their night shift, just as they were beginning to break alertness and pay attention to their fatigue. People are predictable. 

With a sigh of contentment, she moved on to the next part of the plan, getting on board. This was the step she wasn’t looking forward to. Looking down towards the dark, murky water, she grasped onto the side of the dock and lowered both her and her sister into the water. Muscles contracted immediately as they were exposed to the chilling temperature of the wake, her sister stammering from discomfort. Without wasting time, she made her way around to the side of the ship where she could hide safely as she prepared to board. The tide was strong, and it was an obstacle to fight against. Grabbing onto a ladder ring on the side of the ship, she braced herself before beginning to climb, her arms trapping the younger safely between them as so she wouldn't fall. Once she was up enough, she spun her pack around to her front, producing an iron hook attached to some rope. The ship’s metal rings only went up to half its height, as to prevent situations like hers from happening. Gripping tightly to the notch, she leaned back, readying the hook and rope in her hand. The cold ocean mist sprayed them as it hit the side of the ship, stabilizing her foot as it slipped. With a small prayer, she threw the tool, hearing it clang as it gripped onto the railing. She winced, fearing that the sound was loud enough to give away their cover. Hesitantly, she looked over towards the dock to see if her suspicions were correct. The guards were looking, but not at her. She followed their gaze to a band of fire nation guards, watching them make their way towards the navy ships. At the head of the clan was a young man, hair resting on top of his head, dressed in fire nation armor, but somewhat more elaborate than the rest. From what she could make out amidst the fire’s glow they carried with them, he wore a thick bandage over his left eye, concealing a laceration. Accompanying him was an older man, although she had decided to stop her investigating as time was of the essence. 

"Alright, just like we practiced," she said, placing the rope in her sisters' hands. 

Hastily, they scrambled up the rope and onto the ship, stashing her grappling hook before making their way down towards the storage deck where they would find refuge. 

"Where are we going?" The younger asked as she walked behind her sister, hands intertwined.  
"Follow me, it's just a little further."  
"No!" The younger of the two came to a stop, pulling the older back to get her attention. "Where are we going? Why are we leaving Dad?"  
The two sisters stared at each other in the dim light of the ship, the older faltering from the gaze before replying with an honest, "I don't know, but we have to keep going."

Claiming their new home in the low section of the ship, she took off her pack and set it beside her. Despite being damp from their swim, it was warm inside. She didn’t have much more than a half an hour to get comfortable before the jarring sounds of hisses and roars came from the pipes around them. The older rose to her feet quickly as an instinct of defense, ready to run if need be. Those people she saw earlier, was this their ship? The vessel pulled out from the dock and she stumbled back, regaining her bearings. There were no windows on the storage deck, she could only assume their status now by the hum of the engine beneath her. Sitting back down as she began to relax from the startle, she quietly rejoiced to herself, a wide smile appearing on her face. Bringing her knees closer to her chest, she laughed under her breath in relief. They were on their way to becoming free, starting new. 

Her sister, on the other hand, was handling their situation a bit differently. Finding it hard to swallow, she quietly looked down, sniffling. The older turned as she heard her sister whimpers. Very quickly, her emotions were released, her shoulders began to tremble as she cried. She was young, much younger than her sister, but not young enough to know that something was very wrong. 

"Hey. Hey, it's okay," the older placed her hand over hers, lowering her gaze as she brought her attention, "We'll see him again."  
The younger nodded quickly as tears were pushed aside by her sisters' hand, her hair brushed from her eyes. 

"I won't let anything happen to you."

The older gently pulled her sister into her lap, cradling her in her arms. Combing her hair, she gently hushed the whimpers emerging from her sibling, though allowing her to weep. It had been awhile since she was able to process the events herself, feeling tears emerge in her own eyes. She didn't know when they would be able to return home, if at all. She couldn't doubt that this was scary, the unknown had no promise for the two. Taking in a deep inhale to steady herself, the older buried her nose in her sisters' hair. After a moment of comforting her sister, she got back to her feet, scavenging for something they could lay their heads on, perhaps something to read if the material provided itself. If they was going to be on the ship, going who knows where, they might as well make themselves comfortable. With luck, she found a few wool blankets among the cabinets and storage, spares for the quarters she supposed. Taking them, she designed herself a makeshift bed on the hard metal flooring, tucked away in a discrete part of the deck. Pulling her pack towards her, she produced some blank parchment and a small vile of ink as well as a brush. Setting them up in front of her sister, she smiled, in hopes that it would keep her entertained and distracted from the long journey ahead. As she laid back to rest her head on one of the blankets, the other draped over her body, she felt a strong wave of sleep begin to creep in. It had been awhile since she had a full night’s rest. What better way to celebrate a new life? ‘It can’t hurt,’ she thought. ‘I deserve this.’ But her job was not over yet. "Hey." The younger turned her attention away from her artwork towards her sister. "We're going to be here for awhile, and at times it's not going to be fun. I'm going to need for you to listen and obey everything I say, okay? We have enough food for several days, but when we run out and are hungry, I'll be the one to find us some more. This is a big ship and I don't want you getting lost." She looked at her seriously, choosing her words carefully as to not upset her sister anymore. Not mentioning that they would be in deep trouble if they were to be found. 

The hum of the engine and soft swaying of the ship across the water put her right to sleep. She didn’t care where the ship was going, or what kind of danger she was putting them in, as long as they was traveling somewhere far away.


	2. Meet the Crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Readers! 
> 
> I'm so happy to know that some of you are invested in my story already. I will be sure to keep updating chapters within the next following day or two after posting. Again, please check out the spotify playlist for the song connected to this chapter. 
> 
> I'm not an illustrator by any means but I have always enjoyed having a visual to refrance while reading. I will be uploading some of my own drawings to go along with the chapters starting 3 or 4 in the series (Please don't expect too much) lol
> 
> A side note: The small text art at the beginning and end of the beginning into will indicate a backstory.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝❀╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗

Venturing up the steep hill, she gripped a small bottle containing a murky colored liquid. It was no bigger than a small vial, but contained the most dangerous toxins her hands could get from the black market. Not a thought went through her mind, her eyes were a vacant glaze. She couldn’t recall feeling any sense of emotion, and yet, her hands were shaking violently, her heart pounding so hard she feared she might collapse. Beads of sweat collected at her forehead and she wasn’t sure whether anxiety or the humidity of summer was to blame for it.

‘Why are you doing this?’ Her conscience spoke to her, but was only drowned out by her hatred and mission. Forfeit was only a passing thought at this point, it would do her no good now to tuck her tail between her legs and retreat. For once, she was going to follow through with this.

The walk towards the royal district of the kingdom seemed to go on forever. It was known that the monarchy closed themselves off to the masses, but this trek was going to kill her, that is if her heart didn’t get to her first..

Closing in on the high walls that guarded the premises, the young woman pulled a scarf up just beneath her eyes. She couldn’t afford to be recognized, not with the actions she was about to commit. The wall she stood before mocked her with its height, its plaster and sheer concrete build taunting its challenger. This was no threat to her, she had climbed the surrounding mountains in her spare time which proved more intimidating than this, though, that wasn’t to question its difficulty. This wall was made to keep people out.

She stashed the vial in her pocket and produced a hook and rope. Man was this tool helpful for her. It proved itself useful time and time again. She was glad to have invested in it.

With a deep breath, she hurled it over the top of the wall, hearing it catch onto the underside of a terracotta roof. Leaning back with the rope in her hand, she pulled her weight to make certain the tile would hold alright before beginning to climb, walking up the side of the wall. The tile threatened to come loose as she neared her way over and as it sure enough did, she threw her hands up to grasp what she could. The tile hit the ground. With a sigh, she pulled her weight up and over the mass, leaping to land on her feet.

She found herself in the midst of a gorgeous, well-maintained garden bursting with color and aroma. She couldn’t help but take note of the vast diversity of different plants, even at night it was beautiful. Chrysanthemums, peonies, and azaleas all in full bloom. Plum blossoms the shade of a rich pink cascaded down the trees. Across the way was a small pond, holding a few of the blossoms that had fallen from the rest.

Her train of thought was soon interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps approaching her from behind. Before she could move, the edge of a blade was pressed firmly against the front of her neck. The contender had wrapped an arm around her front, holding her in place.

“Make a noise, and it’ll be your last.”

╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗❀╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

The sound of a heavy metal door swinging open startled her awake. Light peered through the opening, causing her to squint as she was so accustomed to the dark. This wasn’t the first time her and her sister had to keep silent so as to not blow their cover, in fact, they had gotten quite good at it. It never made their circumstance less terrifying.  
She watched carefully from beneath boxes as the fire nation soldier walked past her, going to collect a few training materials before returning. Her eyes followed his movements wearily, watching as they closed the door behind them. She waited before proceeding to move, as to secure her confidentiality.

“Never gets any less scary,” she whispered as she let out a breath.

No response.

“Su.” Silence. “Suyin?” This time her voice raised a little bit, just above a whisper.

‘How long had I been asleep?’ She wondered as she turned to search for her sister, her eyes adjusting back to the darkness. Hands wandered over the mound of blankets where her and her sister typically slept. Nothing. She was beginning to become worried. Her younger sister was notorious for defying her orders at times, this was the wrong time for her to be independent.

“This isn’t the time to play games.”

Making one last search around the large, cluttered room, she neared the door. As quietly as one could muster, she pulled on the latch of the door, watching as the outside light of the hall crept in. It was open enough for her to squeeze out, shutting the entryway behind her. There were no soldiers to be seen, but the ship was only big enough, the hallways narrow, that she was bound to run into someone if she wasn’t careful.

It didn’t take long before she approached the upper deck of the ship, being mindful to hide in the nooks and turns of the hall. It was the galley where she could hear giggles behind the closed door, happy giggles. She knew that sound, but it wasn’t a pleasant time to hear it. It was followed by a deeper voice, for which she felt her heart skip.

‘God, Suyin, what have you gotten yourself into,’ she cursed, hurriedly preparing a plan to rush in and save her sister if need be.

Again, gently, she opened the door, awaiting her sister’s presence with this unknown and potentially dangerous stranger. Just as soon as she entered the room, the alluring aroma of broth, chicken, and vegetables smacked her across the face, a rude awakening for her aching stomach.

“You must be the sister,” the man rose from his spot at the table, pushing the wrinkles from his clothing. With a welcoming smile, he bowed. Suyin sat on the opposite side of the table, smiling. She wore a few food stains on her worn out shirt, the sign of a meal well enjoyed.

“Sir, I-” She was baffled by his kindness, suspicious to say the least. However, she was willing to plead for her sister and her life.

“We are honored to have your company on our journey. If we knew we were having guests, we would have provided you with proper beds and meals.”

She smiled, returning the respect of a bow towards the man. For the first time in awhile, she was speaking to someone besides her sister, and yet, her tongue was caught. The decadent smell of the soup was overwhelming her senses, and for a moment, it was all she could think about. The time spent isolating in the storage deck had not been kind to her or her sister. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, they were starved. They were much more thin than they were before boarding. Their clothes wore loose around them.

“Would you like to join us?” The man asked with the kind smile, motioning towards the table.

With a nod, she made her way to sit next to her sister on the decorative cushions that surrounded the eating area. It was nice to be out of that dark, stale room where they had spent so much of their time. Her eyes traced along the decorations that adorned the walls, art, tapestries 3of the fire nation emblem, potted plants.

“Here you go,” the man returned with a bowl of hot soup, steaming.

She accepted it gratefully, her hands burning instantly as she cupped it. She couldn’t care less, it felt nice. The presentation of the meal was delightful, a cut of cooked chicken over rice noodles and topped off with some green onion and cabbage in broth. She took special note of the meal before taking a pair of chopsticks in her hand. Her fingers trembled as they took their position with her utensil, a sure sign of her deprivation.

“My name’s Iroh, what is yours?”

Slurping up a heap of noodles, she stammered. Time in confinement had caused her to forget her manners. Taking a napkin in hand, she wiped the broth from her lips before speaking.

“Sakura.” She chimed with a smile as she swallowed. “Hey, how long have we been traveling?”

Wrinkles formed around Iroh’s eyes as he chuckled before looking back towards the two who were staring in anticipation of his answer. Although they weren’t welcomed guests, he felt pity for them. Crammed in the dark, lonely storage deck, not knowing where they were going or what lied in store for them.

“Quite awhile,” Iroh responded vaguely. “It’s spring now, though you wouldn’t know, the weather here only favors one season.”

“Where exactly is ‘here’?” Sakura queried, looking over towards her sister who was just as puzzled.

Time didn’t exist in the storage deck, not knowing when it was day or night. She didn’t feel much different than the rodents or pests that scurried around occasionally, uninvited and surviving day to day. If it weren’t for Iroh’s kindness and hospitality, she didn’t know how much longer they could take the isolation. In a way, though she would never admit it in front of Suyin, she was happy for her mistake.

Rising once again from his seat at the table, he went to open the door of the galley.

“I can show you if you’d like.”

Glancing at each other, the two sisters rose as well and followed Iroh out to the hall. Turning a few corners and climbing a set of stairs, he went to open the metal door, exposing the spacious promenade deck. Iroh stepped aside, and the two stepped out into the frigid arctic air. It had been a long time since he had seen the sky, a much better alternative to the rusted metal interior. Beautiful walls of snow and glaciers could be seen from all sides of the ship. The sisters were gazing at everything with wide eyes in excitement.

A wide smile appeared from both of them as they took in a deep inhale of fresh air. Visible clouds of breath formed as it escaped their lips. It was freezing outside, well below zero. The sun shone behind a deep blanket of fog, but it wouldn’t have mattered, it’s warmth was nowhere to be found.

“You’ll want these-” Iroh spoke up with a chuckle as he watched the girls fascination with their surroundings. He held out too thick blankets, and the sisters accepted them gratefully, bundling up to preserve their warmth.

“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Suyin cheered, looking around. Before Sakura was able to respond, the younger one broke out in a sprint towards the side of the ship.

“Suyin-” Sakura reprimanded. As she began to run after her, a hand was place on her shoulder to stop her.

“Let her look, it’s alright. It’s been a long journey for the both of you.”

Sakura grinned, chuckling beneath her breath. “When you’ve been tucked away as long as we have, the rust on the walls become interesting. Though, I don’t think she’s ever seen snow.”

Suyin was busy investigating the cold, white powder that clung the railing. She curiously took some in her hand, molding it into a sphere. ‘Uh oh,’ Sakura thought to herself, predicting her sister was about to throw her creation at one of the surrounding soldiers. She was proved mistakenly wrong as she watched Suyin shove the ball of snow in her mouth. Both Iroh and Sakura shared a laugh. It was nice to see her sister happy again. She couldn’t deny the guilt she faced for taking her from home.

“There’s someone you should meet.” Iroh said, motioning Sakura to follow. Walking along the deck, she took note of the passing soldiers. Some were watching the scenery, others were partaking in a game of Mahjong, their hands resting at their chins as they mapped out their next move. She scoffed quietly, she didn’t blame them. With all the time spent out on the water, a little gambling sounded entertaining. It was a good alternative to staring at the same blocks of ice all day.

Iroh and Sakura were approaching a young man at the bow of the ship, his back facing the both of them. It occurred to her that this was the same young man she saw as she boarded the ship. Hair in a tight tail on the top of his head, embellished armor.

“This is my nephew, Prince Zuko.”


End file.
